Jammu, May 4 (IANS): J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday approved special financial incentives for Covid warriors of the Union Territory's Health and Medical Education Department.

Frontline workers of the Health and Medical Education Department are rendering valuable services in the challenging Covid pandemic times for saving precious lives of the patients, observed Sinha.

Although the services rendered by these Covid warriors cannot be compensated, still the UT government has decided to incentivise their efforts, the LG added.

Incentives are exclusively for those frontline workers who directly deal with Covid-19 patients. The decision will benefit more than 17,000 Corona warriors including resident doctors, medical officers, paramedical/nursing staff, drivers and Class IV employees.

The incentive will be Rs 10,000 per month for resident doctors, PGs and medical officers; Rs 7,000 per month for nursing and paramedical staff; and Rs 5,000 per month for drivers, sweepers and attendants.

The tenure of these incentives shall be initially for a period of three months and will be paid from May onwards.

In view of the surge in Covid-19 cases and to give a fillip to the available medical services at this crucial juncture, Sinha also granted extension up to December 31, 2021 in favour of the faculty members, consultants, doctors working in SKIMS, Soura, Srinagar/Bemina, government medical colleges and health department who are going to retire between May, 2021 and November, 2021.

The tenure in respect of the doctors presently undergoing various tenure postings viz registrarship, demonstratorship, fellowship, senior/junior residency etc. in SKIMS, Soura, Srinagar/Bemina and government medical colleges have also been extended up to December 31, 2021.

The decision was taken to optimally utilise the experience of these medical professionals to effectively deal with the evolving Covid situation.